System and method of removing duplicate user records

Abstract

A duplicate lead removal system comprises a matching engine, a vendor duplicates database, and a conflict engine. The matching engine is configured to determine at least one vendor to receive a lead. The vendor duplicates database is configured to store duplicate lead information that is at least partly created by and received from vendors outside of the duplicate lead removal system. The conflict engine is configured to compare information that is at least derived from the lead with information stored in the vendor duplicates database in order to determine if the lead is a duplicate lead for the vendor such that the system can prevent transmission of duplicate leads to the vendor.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computing system comprising:
 at least one computer-readable medium configured to store data and computer-executable instructions; 
 at least one hardware computer processor in communication with the computer-readable medium and configured to access the data and computer-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable medium and to cause the computing system to perform operations including:
 determining vendor criteria usable to identify contact information to provide to vendors associated with the vendor criteria, wherein the contact information is associated with one or more people; 
 applying the vendor criteria to identify a first contact information associated with a first person satisfying vendor criteria associated with a matched vendor; 
 accessing a vendor database storing, for each vendor of a plurality of vendors, incomplete contact information for each person of a plurality of people already transmitted to a respective vendor, or received from the respective vendor, wherein the incomplete contact information is insufficient to contact a corresponding person; 
 in response to determining that the first contact information is not associated with the incomplete contact information for the matched vendor based on a comparison between the first contact information and the incomplete contact information for the matched vendor, transmitting the first contact information to the matched vendor; and 
 in response to determining that the first contact information is associated with incomplete contact information for any of multiple entities that are part of a common organization, wherein the multiple entities include at least the matched vendor and one or more additional entities, and wherein at least one of the one or more additional entities previously received or stored the first contact information, preventing transmission of the first contact information to the matched vendor. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to: (1) receive vendor files that comprise information about people that the vendors have already received, and (2) update the vendor database to include the received information. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the system is further configured to receive the vendor files by downloading the vendor files from an FTP site. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the incomplete contact information stored in the vendor database relates to contact information that vendors outside of the system generated or received from a contact information generation entity different from the system. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the incomplete contact information comprises at least eight positions of a street address for each person. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor database is configured to store enough information to identify people to a desired degree of accuracy but not enough information to generate complete contact information. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is further configured to detect when contact information has been matched to both a parent entity and a subsidiary entity. 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 accessing computer-executable instructions stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and 
 executing the computer-executable instructions on at least one computer processor, thereby causing computer hardware to perform operations comprising:
 storing contact information in a vendor database for each vendor of a plurality of vendors, wherein the contact information further comprises incomplete contact information for each person of a plurality of people already transmitted to the vendor, or received from the vendor, and wherein the incomplete contact information is insufficient to contact a corresponding person; 
 receiving a first contact information associated with a first person; 
 identifying a matched vendor, wherein the matched vendor is a vendor that is eligible to receive the first contact information; 
 determining that the first contact information is not associated with a person already identified by the matched vendor based on a comparison between the first contact information and the incomplete contact information associated with the matched vendor; 
 transmitting, upon determination that the first contact information has not been previously sent to or received by the matched vendor or any other entities related to the matched vendor and part of a common organization, the first contact information to the matched vendor; and 
 storing information associated with the first contact information to indicate that the matched vendor has received the first contact information. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein identifying the matched vendor comprises identifying a vendor whose vendor criteria for receiving contact information matches characteristics of the contact information. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining that the first contact information is not associated with a person already identified by the matched vendor comprises comparing information at least derived from the contact information with matchkeys stored in the vendor database, the matchkeys comprising enough information to detect a user but not enough information to generate complete contact information. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the matchkeys comprise at least a zip code and at least a portion of a street address. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the matchkeys comprise at least a zip code and at least eight positions of a street address for each user. 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions that are configured, when executed by a processor of a computing system, to perform the operations of:
 storing contact information in a vendor database, wherein the contact information further comprises incomplete contact information for each person of a plurality of people already transmitted to the vendor, or received from the vendor; 
 receiving a first contact information; 
 identifying a matched vendor, wherein the vendor is a vendor that is eligible to receive the first contact information; 
 determining that the first contact information is not associated with a person already identified by the matched vendor based on a comparison between the first contact information and the incomplete contact information associated with the matched vendor; 
 transmitting, upon determination that the first contact information has not been previously sent to or received by the matched vendor or any other entities related to the matched vendor and part of a common organization, the first contact information to the matched vendor; and 
 storing information associated with the first contact information to indicate that the matched vendor has received the first contact information. 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured, when executed by a processor, to perform the operations of receiving a consumer selection of the matched vendor and further restricting transmission of the contact information to the matched vendor selected by the consumer, wherein the restricted transmission comprises at least the first contact information that is stored in the vendor database and associated with the matched vendor. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured, when executed by a processor, to perform the operation of periodically updating the contact information based at least in part on information provided by vendors located remotely from the non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operation of periodically updating the contact information comprises checking a download site to determine if updated contact information is loaded on the download site and downloading any updated contact information loaded on the download site. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the download site is an FTP site. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured, when executed by a processor, to perform the operation of detecting at least one conflict in the contact information stored in the vendor database. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the incomplete contact information being insufficient to contact a corresponding person.